It wasn't long after breakfast that Alan remembered what he had forgotten.
He had forgotten about Sylphie.
She arrived while the three of them were reviewing yesterday's battle, with Roxy sitting beside them, listening and nodding in admiration from time to time.
Sylphie stood outside the yard as usual, looking like an innocent passerby staring at the weeds by her feet. But when she glanced into the yard and saw the blue-haired girl, she suddenly turned, blinking as she looked at Roxy.
Roxy curiously met her gaze.
The two of them froze in unison.
Even more stunned were the expressions on Rudy's and Alan's faces.
Seeing this scene, Rudy shot up, clutching his head with a look of utter dread.
'This is bad! I forgot about Sylphie! It's a classic gal-game setup! Is Roxy going to think Sylphie, who's my age, is my little girlfriend?! I'm doomed! Doomed! No, wait!'
'Roxy has never seen me as a potential romantic partner. With another girl my age here, won't that just reinforce the impression that I'm just a kid in her eyes?! No!!! Even though I've always respected her, Alan's words gave me a glimmer of hope for the future!!!'
Meanwhile, Alan was crying out in his mind.
'Oh no, I forgot about Sylphie! It's a classic gal-game setup! Is Sylphie going to think that Roxy, who looks so young, is her romantic rival? This is bad, Rudy's battlefield of love is about to start early!! What do I do?! No, wait!'
'…What does Rudy's battlefield of love have to do with me, Alan??'
With that thought, Alan's world brightened. He met Rudy's pleading gaze with great interest, then pretended not to see it at all. He even propped his chin on his hand like a spectator, gleefully watching Sylphie and Roxy stare each other down.
'Haha, Rudy, oh Rudy. In the original story, you cleverly avoided every possible romantic battlefield. Coddled by Sylphie's selfless devotion, you built your harem so smoothly—it's just not realistic! Now I finally understand the meaning of my transmigration into this world! It was to bring me here personally to flap my butterfly wings and punish you, you scumbag! Haha, face the heavens' punishment for toying with a follower of the God! This is the price you pay for the future you'll have with a girl on each arm!'
'But I have to say, even though Sylphie is still young, she's a woman at heart. There's even a hint of vigilance in her eyes… Ooh, a romantic battlefield is the best drama! Go on! Fight! Fight! I want to see rivers of blood!'
Sylphie only remained frozen for a moment. Then, at Paul's greeting, she silently walked over to Alan's side and sat down obediently, her reddish-brown eyes still fixed on Roxy.
Roxy returned her gaze with her deep blue eyes.
Seeing this, Alan quickly looked at Rudy and found his pupils had started to glaze over. Alan couldn't help but cover his mouth.
He was genuinely afraid he would laugh out loud.
But in the next instant, Alan's expression stiffened.
The system interface materialized before his nose.
[Sylphie and Roxy's favorability towards the host have both slightly increased. Participation rating in the major events of Mushoku Tensei has improved.]
[Current Stage: Childhood. Cumulative Participation Rating: 65 points.]
[Evaluation: Everyone laughs at Rudeus, but everyone is Rudeus.]
[What is the meaning of transmigration? This is the meaning, Alan-san! What is a romantic rivalry? This is it! (Leans back)]
Alan watched blankly as the system panel faded. He dazedly looked up at Roxy, then at Sylphie beside him.
'What the… what???'
The next moment, Roxy's and Sylphie's voices chimed in unison by his ears.
"…Alan, who is she?"
Alan froze for a moment, swallowed hard, and looked towards Paul in disbelief.
The ever-astute Paul had already sensed trouble and had wisely retreated to a safe distance. He was now looking up, admiring the clouds in the sky.
Rudeus, seeing the tables turn so dramatically, quickly recovered. Delighted by the reversal of roles, he couldn't help but grin at Alan's stunned expression.
"Hahaha! Alan, face your punishment! Roxy will surely be mine!"
He had meant to say it telepathically, but his excitement made him blurt it out loud.
His voice echoed through the courtyard.
Everyone present was startled and turned to look at him.
Paul, who was admiring the sky from afar, could no longer stay out of it. He turned his head in shock to look at his son, his expression a mixture of emotions.
Under everyone's intense stare, Rudy's face changed color several times, prompting even the still-dazed Alan across from him to marvel at how Japanese people could also perform the art of "face-changing."
A breeze blew through the courtyard.
Rudy struggled to continue.
"I mean… Roxy will surely be my… respected teacher."
Roxy snapped out of her surprise, blinking in confusion before turning back to Alan.
"…The atmosphere has felt strange for a while now… Um, Alan, based on what Rudy said… did you want me to take this beautiful long-eared girl as my student?"
Alan blinked, quickly glanced at Rudy who was staring intently at him, and his mind raced.
"Ah, yes!"
He placed a hand on Sylphie's head. She looked up at Alan and Rudy, blinking in confusion.
"This is Sylphie. She's also a magical genius, and she can use silent casting! So I was hoping you could teach her for a few days. As a Water Saint-rank magician, you could assess her current level and grant her the title of magician!"
He then looked down and gave Sylphie a brilliant smile.
"This is the teacher who taught Rudy magic—the Water Saint-rank magician, Roxy. Rudy is an intuitive type when it comes to magic, so you can ask Roxy all your magic-related questions!"
'Get out of here with your romantic rivalry! Give me back the original master-student bond between Roxy and Sylphie from the untransmigrated timeline!'
Hearing the words "silent casting," Roxy's expression changed slightly, and she was about to politely decline. However, Sylphie looked at her and obediently followed Alan's lead.
"Hello, Teacher Roxy. I've heard so much about you. So you're Rudy's teacher. I thought you were an acquaintance of Alan's… Um, my name is Sylphiette."
Hearing this, Roxy swallowed the refusal that was on the tip of her tongue and forced a smile.
"Hello, Sylphie. My name is Roxy Migurdia. You don't have to call me teacher. You children can all use silent casting, it's really disheartening… While I may not be qualified to be your teacher, I can probably help assess your current magic level… You're not stronger than Rudy, are you?"
Sylphie glanced at Alan, who was frantically making faces at her from the side, and nodded in cooperation.
"I'm not as good as Rudy. I've only been learning magic for two months, teacher."
Roxy: …
'Two months and she can already use silent casting? Also, please stop calling me teacher… I want to die T_T I never should have listened to Alan and stayed here. So this is why he wanted me to stay, to teach this child… Alan is so cunning…'
But just then, something unexpected happened.
"Paul! Did Alan bully my Somal again?! You'd better give me an explanation this time!"
Alan, who was just wiping sweat from his brow in relief, froze again. He turned in shock, along with a dazed Paul, to see Mrs. Somar suddenly appear at the courtyard gate.
She stood by the fence, squinting at Paul and Alan. But when her eyes fell on Roxy, who was sitting opposite Alan, she paused for a moment.
She looked Roxy up and down, her gaze lingering for a moment on her chest, before a disdainful smile appeared on her face.
Roxy glanced at Mrs. Somar, then turned her attention back to Alan, watching him quietly.
Alan's mouth moved, and he let out a simple, heartfelt thought.
'Oh, crap.'
[Instant Quest Issued: The Scorn of the Older Woman. Mrs. Somar once felt threatened by Roxy's sudden arrival at Paul's house, but later dismissed it after realizing Roxy lacked the necessary appeal for a man like Paul. Now, with Roxy's sudden return, she seems to think that you…]
'Shut up!'
[Oh.]
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